Vegetable and animal products as determinants of colon cancer risk in Dutch men and women.

To examine the relationship between colon cancer and food groups from vegetable or animal sources and their possible interactions with gender, we analyzed data from a Dutch case-control study. Dietary patterns were assessed for 232 colon cancer cases and 259 population controls. In multivariate analyses, the consumption of vegetables was associated significantly with reduced colon-cancer risk (odds ratio [OR] for highest cf lowest quartile of consumption = 0.4, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 0.2-0.7, P-trend = 0.0004). Consumption of fresh red meat was associated positively with risk in women (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.0-5.7, P-trend = 0.04), especially for those with a high consumption of red meat relative to the consumption of vegetables and fruits (OR = 3.1). For men, no association with consumption of fresh red meat was found (OR = 0.9). No clear associations were found for other products of vegetable or animal origin. The results of this Dutch case-control study support the preventive potential of a high-vegetable diet in colon cancer risk. This study suggest this may be important for women consuming a diet high in red meat.